Now that summer is well and truly under way, why not have a go at making your own ice cream?
Most often associated with needing a fancy machine, making your own ice cream at home is actually pretty easy.
Unimpressed with many of the shop-bought varieties I was finding in-store, and not feeling like I’d have enough time to use an ice cream making machine, I sought an easier way.
This recipe makes enough ice cream to last a week, though it likely won’t last as long once you’ve had your first taste of it.
You just need three ingredients – sweetened condensed milk (these come in 397g cans but you will only need about half of that), double cream and vanilla extract. Mix them all together and you’ll have the fluffiest, yummiest ice cream ever.
If you have an electric hand whisk then you’ll be able to put it to good use with this recipe as it takes quite a lot of whisking to get it to the required clotted cream-like consistency.
For more recent recipes and things to make at home, take a look here.
Homemade vanilla ice cream
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
- Approximately 200g of sweetened condensed milk (about half a 397g tin)
- 600ml double cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Measure out your condensed milk if you haven’t already done so – I just poured out roughly half of a 397g tin, which is the weight they usually come in.
- Put the condensed milk into a bowl, along with the cream and the vanilla extract.
- Using a whisk, beat the mixture together until it becomes quite stiff. If you have an electric whisk, this should take around 10-15 minutes. If you have a normal handheld whisk, it requires a bit of arm strength and can take up to 30 minutes – though it is definitely worth it.
- Scrape the mixture into a freezer-friendly container, such as a loaf tin, or Tupperware. Cover with clingfilm and freeze for six hours minimum (try not to use a normal Tupperware lid as these may freeze to the container).
- As this ice cream isn’t custard-based, like many shop-bought variations, it won’t last as long in the freezer. Aim to finish it within a week or so.
Here are some suggestions for things you can add to create different flavours:
- Mint chocolate chip: Add some chopped mint leaves, peppermint extract (instead of vanilla), green food colouring and small chocolate chips at the whisking stage.
- Strawberry: Handful of frozen strawberries (these can be blended if you don’t want the chunks), strawberry flavouring (instead of the vanilla extract) and a handful of small white chocolate chips.
- Ultimate chocolate: Add 100g melted dark chocolate to the condensed milk, cream and vanilla. You could even add some chocolate chips to the mixture too or opt for the ultimate indulgence – pieces of chocolate cake stirred through.